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Below are some talking points and activities to pass the time, all relating to today’s story.

Talking points

Discuss the ideas presented in the video with your family—at home or over video conferencing. Find ways to involve as many people as possible, especially those who you know are isolated by the lock-down.

• Do you have a favourite out of the photos of clouds in the article? Have you seen clouds similar to any of these? Do any of these clouds look like they have raindrops in them to you?
• Do you enjoy watching clouds? How do you feel when you lie on your back and watch the clouds race by, or change slowly? When do you feel like you mostly notice clouds—when you look out of the window? When you bounce on the trampoline?
• Can you imagine living in a world with skies that were one colour all of the time? Would you miss clouds if they weren’t there?
• Do you feel surprised to read that a cumulonimbus cloud can be 10,000 metres tall? How about the fact that the average raindrop is only one hundredth of a millimetre in diameter?
• The article describes clouds as a sort of blanket over the earth. Have you noticed that clear, starry nights are colder than cloudy nights?

Task—Make a Melted Crayon Cloud

Use up any small, broken pieces of crayon by making a melted cloud out of them.

1. Using scissors, scrape shavings from pieces of broken crayon. Work over a piece of paper.
2. Use a stick or a clean finger to make the shavings into a cumulus cloud shape.
3. Place wax/baking paper over the cloud and press a warm iron directly onto it. Don’t move the iron, keep it in one place to prevent smudging. A few seconds should be enough. (Newspaper or kitchen towels beneath your artwork will keep the ironing board clean while you do this.)
4. Remove the wax/baking paper and voila—a melted crayon cloud.

Send us a picture of your melted crayon cloud!